Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Windham, Joseph
WINDHAM, JOSEPH (1739–1810), antiquary, born at Twickenham on 21 Aug. 1739, at a house which was afterwards the residence of Richard Owen Cambridge [q. v.], was related to the Windham family of Norfolk. He was educated at Eton, proceeding to Christ's College, Cambridge, but did not graduate. In 1769 he returned from a prolonged tour through France, Italy, Istria, and Switzerland. He had a strong interest in matters connected with art, was well read in classical and mediæval writers, and made numerous drawings both of natural objects and of antiquities. He was also an excellent Italian scholar. While residing in Rome he made many sketches and plans of the baths, which he presented to Charles Cameron, by whom they were published in 1772 in his work on the ‘Baths of the Romans’ (London, fol.) Windham contributed a considerable part of the letterpress of the work as well as most of the letterpress of the second volume of ‘Antiquities of Ionia,’ published in 1797 by the Society of Dilettanti. He also assisted James Stuart (1713–1788) [q. v.] in the second volume of his ‘Antiquities of Athens.’ Windham was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries on 6 April 1775, and of the Royal Society on 8 Nov. 1781. He was also elected a member of the Society of Dilettanti in 1779. He possessed some knowledge of natural history, and acquired one of the best antiquarian libraries in the country. He died at Earsham House, Norfolk, on 21 Sept. 1810. He married, in 1769, Charlotte, daughter of Sir William de Grey, first baron Walsingham [q. v.] Windham's only publication in his own name was ‘Observations upon a Passage in Pliny's Natural History, relating to the Temple of Diana at Ephesus,’ which appeared in ‘Archæologia’ (vol. vi.).
[Gent. Mag. 1810, ii. 390, 488–90; Hist. Notices of the Soc. of Dilettanti, 1855; Cust's History of the Society of Dilettanti, 1898, passim.]